Introduction to Technical support.

1. Introduction to
IBM Remote Technical Support

2. © 2014 International Business Machines Corporation 2
Agenda
• Subscription & Support
– What is S&S?
• Remote Technical Support
– What is the Support Handbook?
– How does the support process work?
– How is a PMR escalated?
– How long is IBM software supported?
• Accelerated Value Program
– What is AVP?
• Support Portal
– How do I access the IBM Support Portal
– How do I subscribe to My Notifications?
– How do I download a fix pack?
• What are Professional/ Lab Services offerings?

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Understanding Software Support at IBM:
Subscription &
Support
Remote Technical
Support
Accelerated Value
Program (AVP)
Support Portal
IBM
Customer
Support

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IBM Subscription & Support – entitles clients to Remote
Technical Support
IBM S&S : Extending the value of your IBM software investment
Protects our client’s
investment
• Provides:
• new product
versions
• upgrades
• fix packs
Support expertise
• IBM’s worldwide
support keeps our
clients connected to
support expertise
when and how it is
needed
Minimize downtime
and maintain
schedules
• IBM’s time-saving
tools and
comprehensive
technical
information have
been created to
• help our clients
find answers
• find solutions
• training to build
skills
• diagnose
problems quickly

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Remote Technical Support
Subscription & Support
Remote Technical
Support
Accelerated Value
Program (AVP)
Support Portal
IBM
Customer
Support

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Understanding Software Support at IBM
IBM Appliance Support HandbookIBM Support Handbook
• Complete support reference guide
with detailed information for
software and hardware
• Describes all aspects of support and
electronic support
• Includes contact information
http://www-304.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/applhandbook/home.htmlhttp://ibm.com/support/handbook
• Introduction to IBM Appliance Support
• Definitions of programs, policies, and
procedures
• Utilize IBM effectively

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 On-site support
 Network design
 Support for products past their
End of Support (EOS) date
 Analysis of customer’s program
code (i.e.: exits, applications)
 Data/database design & recovery
 Diagnosis & analysis of non-IBM
products
 Application or product integration
help
 Performance, tuning, or a health
check
IBM Remote Technical Support Overview
Included:
 Voice and electronic access to
report a defect and “how to”
questions
 View and manage problem status
on the Internet
 Worldwide infrastructure: support in
native languages & time zones
 Coverage
 Severity 1 Problem: 24/7 coverage
 Severity 2-4 Problems: normal business
hour coverage
Not included:

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IBM Support Process
Open a
Service
Request
(PMR)
-Route SR to
product experts
-Entitlement
check
Open/Update/
Monitor
-Find known
answers
-Help collect
MustGather
-Educate clients
on self-help
-Broad usage
based skills
-Language
support
Workaround/
New solution
Source
identification:
-Workarounds &
solutions
-Problem
recreation
-Deep technical
skills
-Create APARs
-Interface to
Level 3
Creates/
Delivers fixes
-Code based
team
-Create fixes
and fix packs
-Create debug
modules
-Skilled in their
components,
not experts on
entire product
Level 1:
Rediscovery
Level 2:
Problem
Determination
Level 3:
Development
*Service
Request Tool
via Support
Portal
(Sev 1-4)
Voice
support
available
(Sev 1 only
preferred)
OR
Fastest path
to resolution
*Preferred
Method

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Setting Severity Levels
1
•CRITICAL BUSINESS IMPACT: this condition requires an immediate solution
•Initial Response Goal: within 2 hours
•Customer must be available to work Sev 1’s 7 days a week/24 hours a day
2
•SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS IMPACT: program is usable but severely limited
•System Z - Initial Response Goal: within 4 business hours
•Other platforms Initial Response Goal: within 2 business hours
3
•SOME BUSINESS IMPACT: program is usable but less significant features
impacted
•System Z - Initial Response Goal: by the end of the next business day
•Other platforms Initial Response Goal: within 2 business hours
4
•MINIMAL BUSINESS IMPACT: problem causes little impact or a reasonable
workaround is in place
•System Z - Initial Response Goal: by the end of the next business day
•Other platforms Initial Response Goal: within 2 business hours
Business hours are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM local time for the geographic area where the software is
licensed. Severity 1 Issues will be worked 7 days a week / 24 hours a day jointly with clients.

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1
Check Severity
Level
2
Contact Duty Mgr
3
Complaint or CritSit
Escalation Options
Check the severity level of the Service Request (PMR)
and raise if needed. Update the business impact if it
has changed, and of course, indicate system down if
that is the case
Call the local contact telephone number and ask for
the duty manager
• In the US: Call 1-800-IBM-SERV
• Worldwide contacts: http://ibm.com/planetwide/
The IBM account team can request a complaint or
request a higher level “Critical Situation” if:
• Multiple Service Requests or multiple products are
involved
• There appears to be a lack of coordination from
product support teams
• Participate in the increased meetings, email and
telephone calls
IBM Client teams can help avoid escalations by proactively alerting support teams when you are about to
undertake a migration, installation, weekend production work, etc.
1
•CRITICAL BUSINESS IMPACT
2
•SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS IMPACT
3
•SOME BUSINESS IMPACT
4
•MINIMAL BUSINESS IMPACT

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 A minimum 5 year support period
for all products (version / release
level) from general availability
 A minimum 12 months notice to
customers of a product being
withdrawn from support via
announcement letter.
 Product lifecycle information is
available at
http://www.ibm.com/software/info/
supportlifecycle/
IBM Lifecycle Policy
Goal: To give customers a reasonable amount of time to
purchase, install, productively use, and migrate to the next
product release.
 April and September are the
only two months of the year for
products to be withdrawn from
support
 All components in a product or
solution bundle are supported
until the bundle is withdrawn
from support

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What Happens After the End of Support Date?
*3 year support extensions only apply to products listed on the Lifecycle page only
Incremental, fee-based support extensions are available when the
customer cannot migrate to a supported release before End of Support or
is “unsupported”.
Available for a minimum of 3 years* after end of support
-Processed through a special bid contract at an additional fee
-Subscription and Support is a prerequisite
Migration plan may be needed
Contact your IBM Account Team or Representative to
request a support extension

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Accelerated Value Program (AVP)
Subscription & Support
Remote Technical
Support
Accelerated Value
Program (AVP)
Support Portal
IBM
Customer
Support

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IBM Software Accelerated Value Program
Accelerated Value Program is a customized offerings targeted at
customers who want a proactive partnership level of support
services to complement enhanced support
• Consistent, ongoing relationship
• Works as extended member of customer IT team
• Looks for ways to represent customer support needs within IBM
Builds an intimate knowledge of customer's environment with
IBM
• Customer knowledgeable resources focus on preventing problems from occurring
Focused on proactive and preventative services
• Onsite services available for technical issues
Executive reporting to help with ongoing activity and future
planning
• Deepens IBM knowledge of real customer use of IBM products
• Knowledge sharing available for customer needs
Develops IBM and customer skills

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Support Portal
Subscription & Support
Remote Technical
Support
Accelerated Value
Program (AVP)
Support Portal
IBM
Customer
Support

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IBM Support Portal – Gateway to IBM technical support
IBM Support Portal, http://ibm.com/support, is your
one-stop shop for technical support.
Choose a product
– Single-product view
– Conduct a search
– 4-5 main modules provide
links to relevant support resources
– Flashes and alerts
– IBM ID sign-in to access all tools
– Download fixes
– Troubleshoot with technotes, MustGathers
– Migration/Installation
– Service Request Tool
– Technical documents
– Communities
Learn all the details:
• New to IBM Support? View “Getting Started at IBM”,
videos, etc. http://ibm.com/electronicsupport

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My notifications subscription
Sample email:
• Proactive Support! A complimentary
subscription helping customers to stay
informed with their software/hardware
products
What is My notifications?
• Customizable to a client’s product
family
• Products
• Daily / weekly updates
• Delivery method: email, RSS, etc
• Document types (APARs, fixes,
technotes, etc)
What kind of notifications?
• View video
• http://ibm.com/support/mynotifications
How do I subscribe?

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Need to download a fix pack? Fix Central is the place to go
• Fix Central lets you search by:
– APAR or SPR identifier
– Fix ID
– Arbitrary text
• Search for recommended groups
• Filter search results by category,
product, release, and platform
• Includes prerequisite and corequisite
fixes
• Use the Fix Central link on Support
Portal to access the tool
• Requires sign in. Some products
require users to be Approved Users
in the Service Request tool to
download fixes
• Fixes now available on mobile
devices
• Upload an inventory file to display
relevant fixes without searching

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Professional/Lab Services Offerings
*All fee based
• QuickStart
• Health Check
• Skills Transfer
• Solution Assessment Definition
Engage IBM Services to proactively help our
clients keep their systems operating optimally

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Summary
Subscription & Support
– What is S&S? S&S is delivered with every new software license and provides easy access to product
upgrades and technical support. Customers must be current on S&S to be entitled to support, new product
versions and fix packs.
Remote Technical Support
– What is the Support Handbook? Describes all aspects of support and electronic support
http://ibm.com/support/handbook
– How does the support process work? After a PMR is created, the problem will be routed to Level 1,
possibly level 2 for further problem determination, and possibly level 3 for development
– How is a PMR escalated? Check the severity level, contact a Duty Manager, and request a complaint or
higher level of CritSit
– How long is IBM software supported? Products are supported for a minimum of 5 years
http://www.ibm.com/software/info/supportlifecycle/
Accelerated Value Program
– What is AVP? AVP is a customized offerings targeted at customers who want a proactive partnership level of
support services to complement enhanced support
Support Portal
– How do I access the IBM Support Portal 1st stop in problem resolution! View technical support
information and access tools http://ibm.com/support
– How do I subscribe to My Notifications? Proactive Support! A complimentary subscription helping
customers to stay informed with their software/hardware products http://ibm.com/support/mynotifications
– Where do I download a fix pack? http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/
What are Professional / Lab Services offerings? IBM Services proactively help our clients keep
their systems operating optimally

21. Q&A

22. Backup

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Glossary of Terms
• APAR Authorized Problem Analysis Reports
• AVP Accelerated Value Program
• CritSit Critical Situation
• EOS End of Support
• ICN IBM Customer Number
• PMR Problem Management Record (also known as SR)
• RSS Rich Site Summary
• S&S Subscription & Support
• Sev Severity (1-4)
• SPR Software Problem Report
• SR Service Request (also known as PMR)
• STC Site Technical Contact